Waiting, waiting ... for the opening of Forever 21

The things you see when you go out for Starbucks on a Saturday morning ... 

Fans of Forever 21, which sells trendy, youth-oriented women's fashions, started waiting outside its new Plaza Esceula location at 3 a.m. Saturday. 

By 9 a.m., shoppers were ined up around the block, down along Olympic Boulevard, waiting for the 10 a.m. opening. According to the company's website, the store is featuring its "biggest ever" sale of 75 percent off "hot" items. 

Forever 21 occupies the spaces that formerly housed Elisa Wen, the locally owned boutique women's fashion store, and Aaron Brothers Art Market.

Forever 21 is the latest shop to open in Plaza Escuela, where occupancy of its commercial space had been spotty until recently.  Panera Bread company recently 0pened one of its its two locations in Walnut Creek, next door to Starbucks on Locust Street. Panera's other location is in the Countrywood shopping center. 

Sports Authority Elite, a more upscale brand of the Sports Authority big box store, is getting ready to open in a 15,506-square-foot commercial space at the corner of Olympic and South California boulevards. This space was formerly part of Andronico's market. Cheesecake Factory took over the rest of the Andronico's space and opened in February 2009.